Wow!: Shanghai’s Jewish refugee history takes centre stage in new oratorio
CASEY HALL, of Reuters, reports from Shanghai on the history behind the debut of ‘Emigre’…
Far-right populist Wilders sweeps Dutch parliamentary election – exit poll
Amsterdam, The NetherlandsReuters Dutch anti-EU far-right populist Geert Wilders, who has vowed to halt all immigration to the Netherlands, was set for a major victory in parliamentary elections on Wednesday, an exit poll showed. Beating all predictions, the exit poll put Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) at 35 out of 150 seats, 10 seats ahead of […]
Explainer – What are the details of the Israel-Hamas hostage deal?
Reuters Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in fighting in Gaza to allow for the release of 50 hostages held by the militant group in exchange for 150 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons and also to allow for more aid to enter the enclave. Protesters hold signs demanding the liberation of hostages who […]
UN agency urges Pakistan to halt expelling Afghans during winter
Islamabad, PakistanReuters The UN refugee agency on Wednesday urged Pakistan to halt deportation of undocumented Afghan refugees during the harsh winter season, as police continued to search homes and expel Afghanis who had not already left. Islamabad last month announced it would expel over a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul […]
Dispute erupts over whether Pope called Gaza situation a “genocide”
Vatican CityReuters A messy dispute broke out on Wednesday over whether Pope Francis used the word “genocide” to describe events in Gaza, with Palestinians who met with him insisting that he did and the Vatican saying he did not. The opposing versions emerged at an afternoon press conference with 10 Palestinians who met the Pope […]
Updated: Fiery car crash at US-Canada border kills two; terrorism ruled out
Updated: 11:30am (AEDT)Washington DC, USReuters A speeding car crashed in flames on the bridge linking New York state and Ontario at Niagara Falls on Wednesday, killing two people in the vehicle and sparking a security scare that closed four US-Canadian border crossings and Buffalo International Airport. Hours later federal and state authorities said investigators had […]
Gaza “most dangerous place in the world to be a child” – UNICEF
Reuters The Gaza Strip is the “most dangerous place in the world to be a child,” the head of the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said on Wednesday. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell told the UN Security Council that more than 5,300 Palestinian children had reportedly been killed since 7th October – when Palestinian militants […]
Myanmar hands over to China thousands of telecom fraud suspects
Beijing, ChinaReuters Myanmar authorities have handed over 31,000 telecom fraud suspects to China since law enforcement officers from both countries launched a crackdown on online scams in September, Chinese authorities said on Tuesday. The suspects included 63 “financiers” and ring-leaders of crime syndicates that have cheated Chinese citizens of large sums of money, the Ministry […]
Ethiopia talks with rebel group OLA end without deal
Addis Ababa, EthiopiaReuters A second round of peace talks between Ethiopia’s government and a rebel group aimed at ending a decades-old conflict in the country’s largest region Oromiya has ended without a deal, both sides said on Tuesday. The negotiations in Tanzania between the government and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) followed talks in April […]
StrangeSights: Dog bites…president; a controversial ‘Bird of the Century’; and, biggest plane yet lands in Antarctica
DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…